2012 Honda Civic EX-L with Navi Review by Carey Russ
+VIDEO

When the 2012 Honda Civic debuted partway through 2011, somewhat
surprisingly it did not get rave reviews. And not just from the enthusiast
press, but from consumer-oriented publications as well. Complaints seemed
to center around the newest, ninth-generation, Civic being, well, boring.
Not as sporty as it once was…

My interest was piqued. But, the logistics and politics of press car
scheduling being what they are, I didn't have a chance to drive the new
Civic for any length of time until last week, which I spent with a
top-of-the-line EX-L with Navi sedan.

Watch the Honda Civic sedan on-road driving video

Verdict after that week? Regarding the "lost its sporty character"
criticisms, did someone have a bad day? Want "sporty" in a Civic? Think
"Si", not the others. Perhaps the criticism was aimed at the steering?
Among many other changes, Honda has gone to electric assist for the power
steering, to save weight, fuel, hydraulic fluid, and maintenance. Electric
power steering (EPS) inherently has less feedback and feel than does
hydraulic-assist, and yes, the new Civic's steering is a bit numb. But it's
not as numb as some EPS implementations I've driven, which feel more like
video game controllers than car steering.

Economy, not performance is the idea behind the new Civic. On the left
rear side window is a leaf-shaped sticker with the word "Econ", and there
is a button so marked (green, of course) on the dash to the left of the
steering wheel. Pressing that remaps the engine and transmission control
computers for more fuel-efficient operation, with a colored display next to
the speedometer providing feedback to the driver. The car seemed to me to
work better in Econ mode than otherwise, too.

What else is new with the 2012 Civic? Everything… It's a definite
development of the previous generation in style, with new unibody structure
underneath. Suspension is, unlike many competitors, fully independent.
Wheelbase is 1.2 inches shorter but all external dimensions are the same.
Interior space has increased by 3.7 cubic feet. Weight is down by 20 to 60
pounds, depending on model. The engine and transmission are basically the
same, with revisions for improved fuel efficiency.

My EX-L with Navi(gation system) test car was a pleasant, comfortable,
and roomy small car with features that would have been only in the domain
of the luxury class not long ago. Sporty? Not really, but maneuverable and
pleasant to drive, with good steering and brakes. And good fuel economy,
high 20s around town, high 30s on the open highway, and 32 mpg overall.
With no lack of power for necessary acceleration, merging, and
hill-climbing duties. The Honda Civic has been a class benchmark since it
first appeared, and it's still the car all competitors aim for.

Honda Civic's Chief Designer explains the new Civic design

APPEARANCE: Honda Civic, The Next Generation… the "futuristic and
distinctive compact" concept embodying a "one-motion" monoform shape
debuted on the previous Civic and has been further developed here. Surfaces
have more angular highlights, with the hood and grille showing a
resemblance to the Insight hybrid and the sides defined by prominent wheel
arches and character lines. Both the windshield and rear window are more
raked than before, giving a more coupe-like profile, and, with careful
under-body air management, less aerodynamic drag. A re-sculpted rear panel
features wraparound taillights.

COMFORT: Inside as out, the new Civic builds on the old in design. The
double-layer instrument panel gives a spaceship-modern ambiance, but it's
as functional as it is stylish as it presents necessary information is a
clear manner with minimal driver eye movement and adjustment required. At
the top, directly in front of the driver, is the digital speedometer,
flanked here by a colored bar graph that is part of the ECON system. It's
good being green… To the left of that is the fuel gauge, to the
right, an instant-mpg readout. All brightly backlit. Further left is the
information system display. Below are less-vital instruments like the tach,
and warning lights. The EX-L Navi's namesake navigation screen is at the
top center of the IP, canted toward the driver but accessible by the
passenger. It has a combination touch-screen/external hard button interface
and is also used for audio system control. Audio meaning here
AM/FM/Sirius-XM radio, CD, and external devices by either a jack at the
front of the console or a USB port in the console box -- both with adjacent
power points. Prominently at the extreme left of the dash is that ECON
button.

The EX-L has very comfortable leather-upholstered front seats with
two-level cushion heating, manually-adjustable, and manual tilt and
telescope adjustment for its leather-wrapped steering wheel. Which has
controls for the information, audio, and cruise control systems and a
Bluetooth-enabled phone. The rear contoured bench is also leather, and
offers plenty of space for two medium-sized adults (5-9 or less), with a
cozier center position. The back folds 60/40 to handle awkward items, but
the trunk capacity is large enough that that shouldn't be a common
occurrence. Yes, dash and door materials are textured hard plastics. So?
Does anyone remember the (lack of) longevity of some soft-touch materials
of the past?

SAFETY: Safety features found in the new Honda Civic sedan include
dual-stage front, seat-mounted front side, and side airbags, a strong
"Advance Compatibility Engineering™" structure around the passenger
cabin augmented by front and rear crumple zones, four-wheel antilock brakes
(disc in the EX and above) with brake assist, the Vehicle Stability
Assist™ (VSA®) electronic stability system , and the new Motion
Adaptive Electric Power Steering System.

RIDE AND HANDLING: Extensive use of lightweight high-strength steel
means weight reduction for the new Civic, which means improvements in
handling, performance, and fuel economy. The suspension is the same
fully-independent MacPherson strut front, multilink rear design as before,
with detail improvements to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness. A
1.2-inch decrease in wheelbase may quicken response to driver inputs some,
but the major change is adoption of electric power steering. It's
integrated into the VSA system to help the driver steer out of trouble in
hard cornering or slippery conditions.

PERFORMANCE: The engine in the DX, LX, EX, and HF models has the same
1.8-liter capacity, 140 horsepower (at 6500 rpm), and 128 lb-ft of torque
(at 4300 rpm) as that found in 2011 equivalents. It has the same basic
single overhead camshaft design and aluminum alloy construction, but there
are numerous small changes that add up to improved efficiency through
reduced friction. Its version of the i-VTEC valve control system is
designed for low emissions, maximum efficiency, and optimized torque output
between 2000 and 4000 rpm, where the engine most commonly operates. A
variable-length intake manifold makes further contributions. The engine
does indeed run best at those speeds, and the five-speed automatic
transmission keeps it there. ECON mode takes advantage of electronic
throttle control to change response to driver input for more gradual
throttle control, for better fuel efficiency. Press harder for more
acceleration when necessary, as usual. I kept it on except when on steep
highway grades, where I also resorted to shifting out of "D" into "D3" to
keep the engine spinning high enough for adequate power for quick
acceleration in traffic if necessary.